Combination packer, and pump anchor



Nov. 29, 1966 M. ROUSE COMBINATION PACKER, AND PUMP ANCHOR Filed July 13, 1.964

E m5 NU who m W M M Z 67 t 9 6 6 0 an? fldw 4 z 2 M w 2 7 .w v k i W U United States Patent 3,288,220 COMBINATION PACKER, AND PUMP ANCHOR Melvin L. Rouse, Cross Plains, Tex. (714 Travis Ave., Fort Worth, Tex.) Filed July 13, 1964, Ser. No. 382,228 3 Claims. (Cl. 166138) This invention relates to improvements in combination packer constructions for well equipment having a simple and rugged construction to perform as a multipurpose tool.

Basically a packer is a device for the separation of fluids in a well that may be detrimental to one another. The purpose of a packer therefore is to pack off fluids entering one strata and engaging with fluids from another strata. The packer is expanded to engage the well side walls for packing off fluids or gases at any desired point in the bore.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a combination packer tool which may be readily fed without restriction into a well bore and may be selectively locked in any desired position to provide a releasable seal for controlling the well.

A full understanding of the details of the invention, together with further advantages, will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of the combination packer tool shown in the packing condition.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the tool in the inoperative position to permit free movement through the bore of the well.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 5 represents a cylindrical mandrel which is threaded at its lower end 6 to receive a tail pipe coupling 7. The upper end of the mandrel 5 is threaded at 8 to receive a lock nut 9. The lock nut has a threaded male plug 10 for connection with a drill string. The lock nut 9 is provided with a sleeve 11 which extends over the mandrel and terminates with a tapering end 12 which is adapted to forcibly enter a bore 13 of a reinforced packing element 14. The packing element is cylindrical in shape and is mounted freely on the mandrel as indicated in FIG. 2. Slideably mounted adjacent the lower end of the packing element is a cylindrical body unit 15 formed around the periphery of the body unit or a number of radial slots 16 having a tapered bottom 17 such that the slot approaches minimum depth towards the element end of the unit. Intermediate the radial slots 16 are a number of deep radial recesses 18 which extend longitudinally of the unit at a constant depth to terminate at 19. A slot 20 extends through one of the radial recesses 18 to communicate with the concentric bore 21 formed through the body unit. A key 22 is locked on the mandrel 5 and enters the slot 20 as seen clearly in FIG. 2. The body is thus free to move longitudinally of the mandrel but is prevented from rotation by the key 22. A lock ring 23 is secured to the mandrel by a set screw 24 to limit the travel of the mandrel relative to the body unit when in the inoperative position.

A number of slips 25 are connected to arcuate friction springs 26 which extend longitudinally about the mandrel in a concentric manner and terminate with a spring nut 27. Intermediate the length of the friction spring 26 is a spring keeper body 28 which retains the convex bowed shape of the spring.

In operation when it is desired to move the packer freely down a bore, the slips 25 are aligned with the radial recesses 18 in the body unit and are free to move longitudinally therein and so prevent locking expansion of the spring or the setting of the packing element 14.

When it is desired to set the packer, the slips are oriented by rotation relative to the mandrel until engaging with a stop 29 which aligns the slips with the radial slots 16 preparatory to engagement with the tapered bottom 17 of the slots. In this setting further downward movement of the mandrel causes the slips to move radially outwards and thereby compress the friction springs to expand radially outwards to frictionally engage with the periphery of the bore. This action locks the body unit 15 and the sleeve 11 of the lock nut 9 is forced into the reinforced packing element 14 causing the element to be compressed and expanded into a sealing relationship with the bore of the pipe as indicated at 14 in FIG. 1, of the drawing.

The cylindrical body unit has thus been designed to eliminate the conventional J slots and sheer pins which are normally utilized in a tool of this class. This tool is simpler to construct and runs more freely in the pipe. There are less moving parts and the tool has been found to work efliciently in both deep and shallow wells.

When desired to use this device as a pump anchor it is secured on the bot-tom of an insert pump and provides a means of locking the pump at any desired elevation to pump any kind of fluid.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of this invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art. However, since numerous modifications will occur to those skilled, it is not desired to limit the construction exactly to that shown and described, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A combination packer and pump anchor for well equipment, comprising, a cylindrical mandrel, a lock nut threadably secured to one end of the mandrel, a tail pipe coupling secured to the other end of the mandrel, a sleeve extending from the lock nut over a short length of the mandrel, a cylindrical reinforced packing element having a concentric bore received on the mandrel to abut at one end with the sleeve, a cylindrical body unit having a concentric bore and having longitudinally extending radial slots formed with a tapering depth, said unit having further longitudinal recesses of constant depth spaced intermediate the radial slots, said unit keyed to the mandrel to prevent rotation and permit longitudinal movement with respect thereto, slips adapted for selective alignment with the radial slots and the recesses, friction springs depending from the slips and maintained in a spaced convex relationship about the mandrel, said packing element being expanded in response to the slips entering the radial slots.

2. A combination packer and pump anchor according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve is adapted to enter the bore of the packing element causing the same to be eX- panded in response to movement of the mandrel through the cylindrical body.

3. A combination packer and pump anchor according to claim 1, wherein alignment of the slips with the radial slots causes the friction to expand and frictionally engage with the periphery of the bore.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

J. A. LEPPINK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION PACKER AND PUMP ANCHOR FOR WELL EQUIPMENT, COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL MANDREL, A LOCK NUT THREADABLY SECURED TO ONE END OF THE MANDREL, A TAIL PIPE COUPLING SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF THE MANDREL, A SLEEVE EXTENDING FROM THE LOCK NUT OVER A SHORT LENGTH OF THE MANDREL, A CYLINDRICAL REINFORCED PACKING ELEMENT HAVING A CONCENTRIC BORE RECEIVED ON THE MANDREL TO ABUT AT ONE END WITH THE SLEEVE, A CYLINDRICAL BODY UNIT HAVING A CONCENTRIC BORE AND HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RADIAL SLOTS FORMED WITH A TAPERING DEPTH, SAID UNIT HAVING FURTHER LONGITUDINAL RECESSES OF CONSTANT DEPTH SPACED INTERMEDIATE THE RADIAL SLOTS, AND UNIT KEYED TO THE MANDREL TO PREVENT ROTATION AND PERMIT LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO, SLIPS ADAPTED FOR SELECTIVE ALIGNMENT WITH THE RADIAL SLOTS AND THE RECESSES, FRICTION SPRINGS DEPENDING FROM THE SLIPS AND MAINTAINED IN A SPACED DEVEX RELATIONSHIP ABOUT THE MANDREL, SAID PACKING ELEMENT BEING EXPANDED IN RESPONSE TO THE SLIPS ENTERING THE RADIAL SLOTS. 